Preschool Lesson Plans – Learning Numbers

One, two, buckle my shoe! Learning numbers is an important skill for preschool children. Numbers are all around them and they love to count things. Want some fresh ideas for teaching numbers with your preschooler? This is a collection of rhymes, activities, and everyday opportunities. Learning numbers will never be boring for you or your child again.

Number rhymes

Rhyming is a fun way to remember numbers. Kids learn through play, so your child will repeat something enjoyable like a rhyming song or finger play over and over. This repetition reinforces their memory – and they’re just plain fun!

One Step, Two Step (from Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes by Zita Newcome)One step, two step, find my teddy bear,Three step, four step, going up the stair.Five step, six step, now start to hop,Seven step, eight step, come to a stop!Nine step, ten step, going very fast,Eleven step, twelve step, how long can it last?Thirteen, fourteen, going very slow,Fifteen, sixteen, not so far to go,Seventeen, eighteen, nearly at the chair,Nineteen, twenty, have a rest with bear.

Number Activities

Number activities can be a fun way to spend time with your child and teach them at the same time. These are very simple, using household items or supplies easily purchased at a craft store. Be ready for the next rainy or snowy day.

Muffin Tin Sorting (two versions)

Take a standard muffin pan and gather several small objects from around the house. These could include paper clips, marbles, playing chips from games, buttons, nuts and washers, coins. Make sure they are in random amounts. Have your child sort the bunch by object, then count how many there are of each type of object (six paper clips, four buttons, etc)

Another variation is to put paper muffin liners in each spot on the pan with different numbers written on the bottom (numbers facing up). Have your child put the same amount of objects for the number in each different spot.

Make jewelry with numbers and sorting

What you needBeads of various colors and shapes, but some repeatingContainer with separate bins (egg carton, muffin pan)Yarn, string, or thick thread

-Make a large knot at the end of the yarn or string for your necklace and for your child’s. -Show your child the pattern you are using for your bead, have your child copy you. Or, let your child take the lead and you copy them. -Either way, point out the patterns and how many of each color was chosen. -Boys can use this as a decoration for something like a bike or as a present for mom, girls can use it as a necklace or bracelet.***Variation – You could use different “O” shaped cereal for an edible necklace, such as Fruit Loops, Cheerios, Multi-grain Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, etc.

Learn From Numbers Around You

Learn from your environment; it takes no special trick or equipment. Just be curious and creative with what you see and hear around you. Try these ideas throughout the day or when your child needs a distraction.

* Have a number scavenger hunt – try finding all the numbers you can in your kitchen, bathroom, out on the road, in the grocery store.

* Pick a common object and start counting how many you see during an errand trip or a little walk around your house.

* Count out each vegetable, noodle, or piece of meat at mealtime. Count how many bites it takes to make it gone. Have your child count how many sips of milk they take.

* When folding laundry, have your child help you count socks, shirts, decorative details on shirts and pants. Count how many of each item is in a pile.

Main Dishes and More

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